6 times Harry, Ron and Hermione were just normal teens trying to survive adolescence

Even when they were hunting down Horcruxes, face-to-face with giant spiders and soul-sucking Dementors, Harry, Ron and Hermione still had to deal with hormones, homework and a hefty dose of teen awkwardness.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Even if you have magical powers, adolescence is unavoidable. Everyone has to go through the same stressful situations and cringeworthy moments – even the Boy Who Lived.

It might be something of a comfort to know that these three had it just as bad as the rest of us.

Exams, ugh

The bane of every teen’s life. Even though the Hogwarts exams were for frankly awesome subjects like Transfiguration and Defence Against the Dark Arts, studying was a nightmare. Bookworm Hermione had trouble with the pressure, once hitting Harry on the nose with her Achievements in Charming book.

By now you may well have forgotten your Pythagorean Theorem or the equation for photosynthesis (the really hard one), but at least you never mutated a dinner plate into a mushroom in front of an examiner, like Ron.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Choosing careers

Being asked what you want to do for the rest of your adult life is terrifying, whether your options are becoming an architect or becoming Minister for Magic.

Harry only ever considered becoming an Auror but was a little concerned that he would need a minimum of five N.E.W.T.s – no mean feat, particularly for a boy whose Potions teacher appeared to despise him.

Despite never getting round to taking his N.E.W.T.s (too busy hunting Horcruxes), he still became an Auror anyway – so career dreams do come true!

First kisses

We all remember how horrendous the build-up to our first kiss was. And it’s not always a good first experience.

Our three heroes all had differing experiences with their first kisses. After a year of fancying the pants off Cho Chang, Harry finally kissed her in fifth year after a Dumbledore’s Army meeting – something he described as: ‘Wet … Because she was crying.’ Not exactly Casablanca.

Ron’s first snog was no less cringeworthy: a very public display of affection with the rather clingy Lavender Brown.

We never witnessed Hermione’s big moment, almost certainly with Viktor Krum. We can only hope it was a little more romantic than the boys’ turned out to be.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Asking people out

Sweaty palms, stuttering, the fear of utter rejection… yep, asking people out is awful whether you’re a wizard or a Muggle.

Harry and Ron weren’t exactly skilled in this area. The first time Harry asked out Cho, he did so with the very romantic go-to phrase ‘Wangoballwime?’ which in human words translates to ‘Do you want to go to the ball with me?’ Ron’s attempt was equally rubbish, when he asked out his future sister-in-law Fleur Delacour in a fit of panic.

Neither lady said yes.

Extra-curricular activities

Even your hobbies can become a nightmare while in school. Ron found out the hard way playing Quidditch for Gryffindor. Hearing ‘Weasley is Our King’ sung by your enemies while you’re being watched by the entire school? Probably the equivalent of calling your teacher ‘Mum’ after falling asleep in an exam.

Biting off more than they can chew

Nothing about your teens feels small or casual. Everything is huge and life-shattering and pressure-filled and every day is the end of the world as we know it.

It was no different for Hermione. In her third year she was literally turning back time to get to all her classes. We all remember stressing out over our studies but this is something else.

That year she fell out with friends, walked out of a teacher’s classroom never to return and slapped Draco Malfoy. So scandalous! Hermione eventually gave up some classes to return to normal, although she still spent an outstanding amount of time in the library.